


Lycosidae

by Yorokobi_669



Category: RWBY
Genre: At some point Qrow becomes an anxious bird dad to like eight kids, F/F, Flashbacks, I made this cause of a response on my tumblr, M/M, Oscar Pine and Ozpin deserve better than this, Oscar Pine has two dads, Oscar’s Bandages, Running Away, Tattoos, The story Oscar deserves, and Oscar just has four dads at this point, faunus, twice
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-09-24 16:22:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17103977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yorokobi_669/pseuds/Yorokobi_669
Summary: “They’re your parents?”“Yep. I look at their photo when I miss them or when I’m upset...”The story behind Oscar’s family, the bandages he refuses to take off, and how he connects to a certain fairytale.





	1. Rekindle

**Author's Note:**

> Edit : I changed a few details just to make the story more interesting in future chapters. Changes include the age his parents died (or so claimed to be), a few adjustments to appearance, and where the spider tattoo was placed for the sake of the aesthetic.

Oscar never took the bandages off his neck unless he had to for bathing. Other than that, the bandages stayed on him unless someone forcefully tore them off, but even if that were to happen he wouldn't sit there and let it without a fight.He never took them off after his parents died working for The Spiders, where Miss Malachite used their small family as pawns and let his parents die. Oscar left the gang soon after their death, which happened when he was ten, and ran till he made it to his aunt and recently late uncle's farm. He happened to grab rolls of bandages along the way to hide the tattooed spider and spider's web that resided at the point where his left shoulder met on the side of his neck. Oscar didn't want anyone to know about history with the gang he practically grew up in.

After his fathers died, his life was relatively peaceful. Well, up until he got himself involved with a oddball group that was meant to stop the world from ceasing to exist for the second time around (apparently).

Now, with a immortal wizard's soul trapped alongside his own, he realized he never wanted this. He didn't want to be punched in the face meant for Ozpin, didn't want to be tiptoed around and mistrusted, and he definitely didn't want or need to be shoved into a wall by Jaune. He'd seen why, what happened to the girl named Pyrrha, but that didn't mean he deserved to be hassled with by someone twice his size.

So, without much thinking involved, he ran.

Anyone would know that he didn't think it through seeing as Oscar had no idea where he was or where he was going. It was cold and snowy, he was bitter, and he was just so tired. Oscar ended up going into an alleyway and sliding down to sit on the hard ground with his back against the wall. He pressed his face into gloved hands and groaned, he couldn't go back now, not after he ran away. They'd ask questions he was ready for and might even get more upset with him!

Oscar reached into his back pocket, pulling out a worn photo. It was him and his parents when he was four. One man, Leon Pine, has shoulder length chestnut brown hair that was pulled into a short ponytail, orange eyes, and olive skin. A spider tattoo was visibly placed onto the back of his right hand. The other, Finian Pine, had a black haired undercut, green eyes, a black wolves tail curled around the others waist affectionatly, and golden brown skin. His tattoo was on his clavicle. Oscar sighed, dropping his head back against the bricks, "Well, dads, looks like I got myself into even more trouble along with when I ran away from The Spiders."

' _They're_ _your_ _parents?_ '

Oscar jolted at the return of a voice that disappeared days ago, Ozpin was quite. He felt what the man felt, which just seemed like guilt and weariness. Oscar couldn't really blame him after the man had some of the worst moments of his life replayed in front of other people, moments such as him loosing his own children. He sighed, "Yep. I look at their photo when I miss them or when I'm upset..."

' _I-_... _I_ _suppose_ _I_ _must_ _apologize_ _for_ _my_ _absence_. _I_ _just_ , _after_ _all_ _that_ _we_ _saw,_ _I_ _needed_   _a...a break_.'

Oscar wanted to be mad, he did, but he couldn't. Not after the man watched some of his worst moments, not to mention his children dying, all over again. Oscar shrugged, shivering a bit as he adjusted his position so his knees were pulled up closer to his chest, "Its...fine. Really. I think I get why you did, so I can't really blame you for disappearing."He could feel Ozpin's worry and guilt.

' _You should go back_. _It’s freezing and you aren’t even dressed for this type of weather_. _You'll_ _get_ _sick_.'

"Yeah, like they'd want me back there anyway."Oscar says bitterly, he wrapped his arms around himself for comfort and warmth, "I don't even feel safe around them anymore, they're taking all their frustrations out on me since I’m the only connection they have towards you."

' _I'm so very sorry, Oscar_. _I didn’t mean for you to take the blame for my own actions in the past_.'

"It's not exactly your fault."Oscar considers, "You're trying to save humanity from Salem and the Gods themselves, I guess its inevitable that some mistakes will be made. I, um, I'm sorry you were kicked while you were down earlier."

'... _Thank you, Oscar_.'

"You're welcome."Oscar replied, rubbing the edge of his photo fondly before putting it away again, "We don't really know much about each other, do we?"

' _I'm quite sure you watched most of my past just a few days ago_.'

"That's not what I meant."Oscar clarified, shaking his head, "I don't know anything else about you other then what Jinn showed us, and even with that I don't know why. And you don't know anything about my family, either."

' _Ah, I suppose you’re right_.'

"I'll go first."Oscar decided, "Cause you technically already went..."

' _Maybe you should find somewhere much warmer before you continue, of even the house again. I can at least tell you’ll be having a cold in the near future if you stay out here any longer._ '

"Oh, right."Oscar realized awkwardly, standing up and peeking outside the alleyway nervously, "I guess I should, if I can find my way back..."

' _I can help with that._ '

* * *

When Oscar found his way back to the Cotta-Arc house, with the help of Ozpin, he was greeted by Terra holding Adrian. It seemed they were the only ones home. She took one look at his shivering and blue tinted lips and quickly pulled him instead. Before he knew it, he was in a guest room with a blanket tightly wrapped around him. 

"Are you sure you're okay?"Terra asked worriedly as she entered the room again with a mug, she passes it over to him. Hot chocolate. She sat on the ledge of the bed, "They told me what happened, I called Saphron and they're coming back now that they know you're okay. I'm sorry about, well, everything."

"You really don't have to apologize for them."Oscar says, a bit sheepish, clutching the blanket as he looked away, "I should apologize for running off like that, I wasn't really thinking. I'm sorry."

Terra stood and looked at him with a small, sad smile, "I'll keep them away when they come back. I'm sure you'd like some time to yourself."

"That would be nice."Oscar admitted, cradling the mug in his hands, "Thank you very much, Mrs. Cotta-Arc."

"It's no problem, Oscar."Terra says with a small nod, "And, please, just call me Terra. Get some rest, okay?"

Oscar nodded, Terra ruffled his hair fondly before leaving the room, gently closing he door behind her and leaving him be. He took a sip from the mug before setting in down on the beside table, Oscar let out a soft sigh and shuffled back against the bed frame. He spoke quietly, barely above a whisper, he couldn't imagine how upset the others would be if they knew Ozpin was talking again and how many questions they'd bombard him with, "Ozpin?"

' _Yes?_ '

"I'm gonna tell you more about myself now, if that's alright."Oscar decided, "My parents were a part of a gang known as The Spiders. They died while working for them, more specifically Miss Malachite."

‘ _Yes, I actually have heard of them...I’m assuming you were a member, too?’_

"Yeah."Oscar answers, the back of his throat feeling sour, "I ran away after they died and went to live with my aunt. That's, um, why I wear the bandages on my neck even though I'm not injured. I have a spider tattoo on my neck."

' _That clears that up_. _I did wonder why you wore them everywhere._ '

Oscar chuckled, "Yeah. My parents, Leon and Finian Pine, weren't mean or strict or anything like that. They were fun and happy, nothing like you'd expect for people a part of a gang. Then they went on a trip to Vacuo to steal something from very dangerous people that cost a lot of money, and then they didn't have a chance to come back after that."

‘ _Can you tell me more about them? Your parents, I mean, if you don’t mind me asking_.’

“I’d like to.”


	2. Snippets of memory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BTW, just incase you didn’t see in the previous chapter, I edited a few things about it to make it more interesting so you might want to see it again for some clarification.

__Oscar didn't know how he found himself standing at a train station, his person translucent and no one paying him any mind as they walked around him and sometimes even through him. He looked around, bewildered, as he recognized the area, "How...?"

"I thought it would be better than having you explain everything to me."Someone says, Oscar jumped in surprise and turned to see a silver haired man with glasses over brown eyes, a cane held before him with both hands at he end, and wearing dark clothing with a green scarf around his neck. Oscar noted how he was much taller then himself, "This should show all that you wanted to share, if I'm correct."

"Oh...okay."Oscar says, a tad awkward, though he guess he can't complain seeing as Ozpin basically had to do the same but against his will, "You know, I didn't expect you to look like that."

"Ah. This is my past reincarnation before I was forced to move on to you after the fall of Beacon."Ozpin clarifies. Before Oscar could ask anything else, someone ran through his legs shouting.

Oscar and Ozpin watched.

_"Papa!"A small boy, small for his age, exclaimed in a bubbly tone as he ducked beneath tables and passing people. The boy had tanned skin, black hair, freckles on his cheeks with a perpetual blush, and eyes that looked like a wonderful mix of his parents. He ran through the station hazardously, but who could blame him? He missed his father, after all._

_"Oscar!"Leon exclaimed in delight, scooping his son up into his arms after he dropped his luggage bag to the ground without much thought. He wore a black tank top, blue jeans and brown belt, a large green cargo jacket, and black boots. A raven haired man, Finian, his husband, arrived moments later, obviously out of breath. Green eyes scanned over the other man for injuries before meeting his gaze._

_Leon brushed his chestnut bangs out of his eyes, looking towards the other man in amusement, "What, getting that tired after such a little jog? You must be getting old, hun."_

_"Oh ha ha."Finian says sarcastically, flicking the man between his orange eyes. He wore a black button up shirt, a, worn brown boots, a multicolor woolen cloth working as a bandanna that was tied around his neck, and leather pants that had a thick furred tail sticking out. He continued with a smile, "You try keeping up with a hyperactive eight year old boy who's excited to see his dad."_

_"And what about his other dad?"Leon teased, he wrapped an arm around the raven's shoulder and pulled him into his side, on habit the other man wrapped his wolf's tail around his partners waist, "Get in here."_

_Finian rolled his eyes in amusement but he didn't offer any argument against his action, instead he replied in a fond tone, "Welcome home."_

_"Stop being so mushy!"The boy says, exasperated, pulling away from the crook of Leon's neck, "Let's go home, dad and I have alllll your favorite food waiting for you!"_

_"Oh, for me?"Leon questions, "You shouldn't have. I've only been gone for a week."_

_"Too long."Oscar decided stubbornly, crossing his arms, "Dad's been a total mess without you."_

_Finian spluttered out weak protests as Leon laughed at him, jokingly questioning, "Has he now?"_

_"Yesterday the spaghetti he was making caught fire."Oscar explains deviously, ignoring to the person in question argument against it, "We had to go eat at the bar with the rest of the Spiders because he didn't want to make another mistake and end up burning down the house!"_

_Leon tsked in false disappointment, giving his husband a look before laughing to his dismay, "I can't believe you burned something that's supposed to be cooked in water."_

_Finian frowned and poking Leon in the cheek, a small shock of electricity stinging his face, "You're mean."_

_Leon only laughed in response, Oscar trying and failing to hide his giggles into his hands as he watched their interaction. They began to walk together, chatting and laughing as they made their way into town and towards their bar with the rest of the Spiders. A woman with short black hair and blue eyes greeted them when they entered together, she wore a green button up shirt and vest with torn black jeans and a pair of black shoes, "Welcome back home, Leon!"_

_She smacked him on the back and chuckles at the small 'oof' he produced from the force. Leon chuckled and regained his composure, "Nice to see you too, Esmeralda."_

_"It's good to see your stupid face again."Esmeralda admitted, she pinched their son's cheek fondly and let go at his squeal, "How's my little godson doing now that both his dads are home?"_

_"Great!"Oscar cheered, pinched cheek forgotten as he held onto Leon a bit tighter than before. Finian nodded in agreement with his son, nudging his husband as he smiled._

_Esmeralda chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair affectionately, "Don't he hiding your features in here, kiddo. The outside world may not like them, but us Spiders don't give a damn about your race."_

_"Oh! Right!"Oscar realized, he lifted his hands and ruffled his own hair, making it unkempt, and two black silky furred wolf ears popped up and were alert as ever besides his left one, which was bend downwards. It was easy to hide the ears beneath his hair, Leon and Finian, but mostly Finian, told him to hide his ears in public. Faunus violence was rising and they didn't want the White Fang to associate themselves with the family, or want any stranger harassing their young son on the streets or at school._

_Oscar didn't put up much of an argument, he didn't want the other kids calling him the "Big bad wolf" anymore._

_Luckily, he has his parents, godmother, and the other Spiders who he got to know on his side. A few others in the gang were Faunus too, of course including Finian, and knew all too well what he could and would go through on the outside._

_"Leon, come over here, please, dear."Miss Malachite called out from her usual seat near the bar._

_"Hey, Os, can you stay with Esmeralda while we go talk to her? After we talk we're all gonna go home and watch a few movies."Leon says, passing his son off to his godmother. He and Finian shared a look, worried and concerned, but they disappeared when they said a short bye to their son and went across the room to speak with their boss._

_Oscar didn't mind. He didn't know what they were going to talk about, and he wasn't going to know till a few months later._

* * *

_Miss Malachite thought it was a good time for Oscar to join the Spiders officially. His parents didn't agree, but it wasn't like they could argue any further with the woman once she finalized her words with a threat. She covered up her cruel demeanor with sweet words and a promise to give the family more time together without any missions for a month, after that then Oscar will have to join them on their escapades._ _Oscar started with shady deliveries. At least, most seemed like normal, shady money deliveries unless Oscar was ordered to lead the unsuspecting person somewhere else. When that happened, the people who followed him didn’t suspect a little boy to be leading them to the last place they may or may not see._

_“Hey, um, kid, just where are we going?”A man, Mr. Marvel, asked as they walked into a secluded part of the town._

_“They told me to take you somewhere very secret and random before I give you the money!”Oscar lies, “They don’t want me getting caught doing anything bad and end up getting in trouble!”_

_“Ah...”Marvel says, not exactlyconvinced but didn’t show any signs of leaving. Oscar suddenly stopped walking, standing a few feet ahead of the man, and they were in an empty alleyway filled with trash and broken glass, “Kid? Is something wrong?”_

_“Cover, now!”Someone shouted from the entrance of the alley, Oscar quickly slapped his hands over ears and shut his eyes at his godmothers signal. A muffled slash made through, and the sound of something heavy falling with a strangled noise. Oscar found himself being picked up and readjusted onto someone’s back a few moments later, he kept his eyes shut but removed his hands from his ears._

_“Good job, Ossie.”Esmeralda praises, stepping over Marvel and exiting the alleyway calmly, Oscar then handed her the envelope and opened his eyes once he knew they were away from the alley and back to Oscar’s home, “Now, let’s get you home then I’ll tell Miss M how good you did today, he wasn’t suspicious at all!”_

_A spider tattoo was now bearing his skin, all new and fresh._

* * *

_Oscar was twelve when both his parents were sent to steal something important from Vacuo. It was a long journey and he was expected to stay with Esmeralda for however long they were gone, which was an estimated month. One day, around the time when his parents were supposed to come back, a week away, he went down to the Spiders bar and froze when he noticed everyone looked towards him and stopped talking._

_A teenager at the age of seventeen, Mason, approached him first. He smiled softly, sad even, and said, “Hey, Miss Malachite has something she has to tell you.”_

_“Okay?”Oscar says, confused. He followed the teen farther into the bar and stood behind him when they made it to Miss Malachite, she looked grim and looked up at him with a small frown. He immediately felt unsettled, his ears, which he revealed as soon as he walked in, drooped as he asked, “W-What happened?”_

_“Your fathers.”Malachite says bluntly, linking her hands together and placing them in front of her, “We lost contact with them a few days ago, and today we learned that the place they were infiltrating was destroyed by Grimm...we’re sending others out there to locate your parents, Hunters and Huntresses have not identified by of the bodies as either Leon and Finian, but we don’t know for sure. Oscar, dear...I’m-. I’m sorry.”_

_Oscar ran._


	3. Esmeralda Agnes Verde

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The appearance of Esmeralda Verde.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, I remembered the color rule AFTER I named Esmerelda, Leon, and Finnian in the past chapters. BUT I got lucky, somehow, with the meanings of the names!!
> 
> Leon - Derived from Greek λεων (leon) meaning "lion". Which I guess can relate to brown, the color of Leon’s hair!
> 
> Finian - Fair. Light colored, you know, like white!
> 
> Esmeralda - Name of Spanish, Portuguese origin meaning "emerald". Green.

Oscar gasped when he was suddenly ripped away from his subconscious and back in the guest room of the Cotta-Arc household. He was gripping onto the blanket so tightly that his knuckles were turning white, he let go in favor of whipping his eyes, he whispered, eyeing the door cautiously, "What happened?"

' _I stopped the process. I could tell you might not want to continue anymore for the night, that was a lot for you to see all at once_.'

"Y-You're, uh, right."Oscar admitted, wetting his lips as he realized how dry his mouth felt, "Thank you."

' _Not a problem. And, Oscar, if you don’t mind me asking..._ '

"What is it?"Oscar inquired. He slid down the bed and laid down on his side, he heard voices down the hall and stairs, everyone must be home by now. Sometimes he wished his ears didn't offer such good hearing, he could hear Terra and Saphron scolding and arguing with almost everyone. Maria and Ruby even offered their two cents in between. The disguised Faunus pressed his ears against his head to ignore them for now.

' _Your parents. Did you ever know what happened to them?_ '

"N-No."Oscar answered stiffly, "But everyone thinks they're dead, I think the same because I think I'll go crazy trying to know where they went after the attack. I don't- I don't want to go looking for them to only find out they're dead like everyone says they are and only be disappointed."

' _I can understand that._ '

Oscar appreciated him my pressing anymore on his parents. He didn't want to talk about it or see it anymore for the day.

' _So, you’re a Faunus. Hm, it’s no wonder you like meat as much as you do._ '

Oscar snorted, covering his mouth with his gloved hand to stifle it. He nodded curtly, "I am. A wolf Faunus, like my dad, but with a different attribute than him."

' _You haven’t thought to tell the others this? I don’t mean to pressure you, but the others have stressed how they want to stop secrets between you all after...after what happened._ '

"This is...different. For me."Oscar clarified with a frown, "I've always hidden my ears when around other people, especially ones I can't fully trust. My aunt is on my papa's side of the family, she didn't even know about dad until she met me when I was eleven. I didn't like having them out around her even though she knows about them. I love my aunt, but sometimes she is like a stranger to me because I was never used to living with her even after I ran away from the Spiders."

' _It's a force of habit, then._ '

"Yeah."Oscar agreed, he curled in closer on himself. His waist bent and knees near the edge of the bed, he laid his head across his bent right arm and tucked his head under his left, curling in on himself.

' _Tired?_ '

"Very."Oscar answered with a small yawn, "G'night, Oz."

' _Get_ _some_ _rest,_ _Oscar_. _Goodnight_.'

* * *

Oscar woke up with his ears twitching and alert, in juxtaposition to how foggy and tired he felt. He heard footsteps towards his door, one person. He jumped to a sitting position and pressed his hands against his head, ruffling and fixing his ears back over his thickly furred ears, he noticed that they seemed to get bigger and more noticeable on his head over time. He'd have to figure out how to deal with that later. Oscar glanced over at the cane that was resting against the end of the bed, ready to leap over and grab it.

' _Oscar, you aren’t under attack._   _You're_ _okay_.'

Oscar appreciated the reassurance, but he settled with scooting over to throw his legs over the side of the bed to make the cane more accessible. He heard four tentative knocks on the door, "Oscar? It's, um, Jaune. I need to apologize for yesterday. It's okay if you don't want to open the door, I, uh, understand."

Oscar slid off the bed, biting his bottom lip nervously as he slowly made his way over to the door. He should let him in, but does he even really want to?

' _I'm sure the Cotta-Arcs would’ve very displeased if he harmed you, so they wouldn’t let Mr.Arc up here if he planned on hurting you_.'

Oscar nodded, whispering a small thank you, and opened the door to see a dejected looking Jaune. Oscar shifted uncomfortably and moved to the side a bit, silently inviting him in. Jaune sat on the edge of the bed awkwardly, Oscar decided it was probably best to leave the door open as he sat about a foot away from the blonde.

"I'm sorry."Jaune blurted out, looking away in guilt, "Yesterday wasn't good and I made you run away. I shouldn't blame you in place of Ozpin. I just- I couldn't stop thinking that my friend, more than a friend, someone I loved, died for this cause for nothing. I shouldn't blame you for her death. She- she made a choice I have to respect now because now I can't do anything to stop it."

"What happened yesterday wasn't okay."Oscar says, "But I get it. I can understand why you got upset, you were angry. That doesn't make it justified, but I can forgive you for your actions..."

"Thank you."Jaune says, swallowing the nervous lump in his throat, "A lot of people aren't here right now. It's just Ren, Nora, Maria, and me. The others are going to try to make negotiations with Cordo again, if that doesn't work they're going to try to find any other way and won't be back for a while. Terra is at work and my sister and Adrian are out shopping."

"Okay."Oscar nods, he smelt something good downstairs, "Are, um, you guys making something down there?"

"That would be the ham and bacon!"Jaune answered, barely able to conceal his laughter when he saw the way Oscar's eyes lit up at the sound of food, "You wanna help Ren with the pancakes?"

"I'd like that. I haven't had pancakes in forever!"Oscar says, jumping up off the bed and quickly leaving the room at the mere thought of food. He was hungry, so sue him if anyone had a problem with it. He almost tripped by the time he made it into the kitchen, smiling sheepishly at the surprised looks from Ren and Nora. The two looks at Jaune who arrived a few moments after him, sharing a nod. Maria clicked her tongue from where she sat on a stool, she went back to reading a book Saphron lent her.

"C-Can I help?"Oscar questions, rubbing the back of his neck as he stood upright.

"May you stir this batter for me while I keep an eye on the food that's cooking?"Ren asked in return. Oscar quickly nodded and went over to the mixing bowl, "I'm glad to see you're okay, Oscar."

"Thank you. I'm sorry if I caused any worry. I just needed some time away."Oscar began to stir with a flushed look, embarrassed. Nora was flipping bacon on the pan intently while Jaune moved over to the fridge to get out the milk and orange juice.

' _I_ _believe_ _Ms.Valkyrie_ _is eating some of that food she’s supposed to be cooking..._ '

"No need for you to apologize."Ren reassured, he pondered aloud, "When was the last time we all had the opportunity to make a full breakfast, anyway?"

"After Haven, remember?"Jaune answered as he was getting glasses from the cabinets, "We made a lot of food in the afternoon, we woke up late after the attack and accidentally made breakfast instead of lunch. I'm sorry you didn't have a chance to get any, Oscar. You were asleep for such a long time."

"I think I made some breakfast with my aunt before I left to Mistral. We didn't have much time to enjoy a home cooked meal at the house, really."Oscar says with a sad smile.

"I didn't know you lived with your aunt!"Nora realizes, "What's she like? What's her name?"

"She's really nice, I met her when I was eleven and I had to go live with her when I was twelve after...after, well, my dads went missing on a-..a work trip."He explained, averting his gaze into the bowl, "Her name is Iris, my papa's sister. My uncle, Reed, died a few months after I met them both so I helped my aunt run the farm in his place."

"Were you the only one working on the farm?"Maria wondered, a lens on her eyes raising higher than the other. Oscar nodded, "Hm."

Soon, after their conversation fell into a comfortable silence, they were setting up breakfast on plates for themselves and leaving the rest of the food for everyone else to serve themselves once they got there. Oscar and Nora were already eating their food as they headed for the dining room to eat together. They all jumped from the sudden sound of the doors slamming open and the people who were gone, besides the Cotta-Arcs, came back in. Nora and Oscar almost choked on their food, Ren patting Nora's back while Jaune did the same to Oscar's.

"Nothing worked."Qrow grumbled, flopping down on the couch. Weiss seemed to still be scowling as she entered, so was Yang. Oscar quietly coughed a few more time, clearing his throat. Nora pat his shoulder sympathetically as she continued to gobble up her own plate of food.

"Oscar, um, some woman was looking for you?"Ruby brought up, "We didn't tell her anything because you know, the whole Ozpin thing, but she said she was your godmother."

Oscar proceeded to choke on air this time, eyes wide as he said, without much thinking, "Oh, fucking shit."

Yang cackled at his language, but coughed into his hand and quickly  adding, "Watch your language. You're, like, a tiny child."

Oscar would touch in that topic later, but for now, he asked, "What did she look like? What did you tell her?"

"We asked her who she was to you, like, family wise. Then said we knew nothing because we weren't sure if she was who she said she was. She had pretty dark skin, blue eyes, black hair..."Blake listed off as she leaned into the kitchen at the smell of breakfast, she added, "And she had a spider tattoo on her left shoulder."

Qrow jolted up from his spot on the couch, "A Spider?"

"That's her."Oscar said, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at the door expectingly, "If you asked her a question, she's sure to be suspicious. Esmeralda probably followed you here. She's...like that."

"Your godmother is a Spider?"Qrow questioned seriously.

"She didn't seem to be a Faunus."Blake says thoughtfully.

"Not a spider Faunus. A Spider. A member of a gang, a crime syndicate, in Mistral. Their symbol is a spider tattoo."Qrow explained, "Why's she looking for you?"

"Because I ran away?"Oscar guessed, he put his plate down on the coffee table and went around the living room towards the door. He ignored everyone's questions in favor of opening the door and calling out into the street, "Esmeralda?"

"Ossie!"A woman shouted as she materialized in front of him and he soon found himself being picked up and hugged against her. He was soon put down and smacked behind the head roughly, “What the hell were you thinking, running away from your auntie like that?"

Oscar yelped, "Esmeralda!"

Esmeralda have him an unimpressed look. She was much taller than him than usual as she wearing heeled black boots. She also had on a pair of blue denim pants with a black belt, an off the shoulder black blouse with vertical white stripes, and a green backpack secured on her back. her hair was different, too, it was shaved on the left side with two horizontal lines cutting through the middle for design and the other side was long enough to reach her shoulder.

Esmeralda entered the house and shut the door behind her, lifting her sharp gaze to inspect the others in the living room, she shifted to one side and put a hand on her hip, "Who are you, exactly?"

"Oscar's friends."Jaune answers, eyeing the woman suspiciously.

"Esmeralda Agnes Verde."She greeted. Esmeralda looked across the room and saw their individual weapons, she nodded her head a bit, "Ah, so you're Huntsmen."She quickly turned her attention back to Oscar, using her hand to examine his face and appearance, "Are you hurt? Why'd you runaway? Are you going anywhere else after this? And why on earth are you wearing these kind of clothes in this weather?"

"I'm not hurt, I had to help these guys with something and I joined up with them, we're trying to find a way to Atlas, and I didn't back other clothes with me, I forgot."Oscar explained, already used to his godmother rapidly asking questions.

"You forgot."She repeated dryly, Esmeralda sighed and dropped her bag to the floor, "We're going shopping, then. I cannot believe your aunt let you wear these things, I know you went to live with her but you could've asked me to go shopping earlier with you. I'm still your guardian, it's my responsibility!"

"Now wait a minute."Qrow interrupted as he stood up, "You're a Spider?"

"Don't you see the tattoo?"Esmeralda says, rolling her eyes.

"I'd like to know why the kids godmother is a part of a known crime syndicate and how she knew where we were."Qrow question's dully.

"You think no one has come to Miss Malachite asking about your whereabouts?"Esmeralda asked rhetorically, "The only reason we didn't give as much information as we know is because we found out Oscar was accompanying you. So, anyone shady that asked about your whereabouts only got a third of the information. You're welcome."

"Why did everyone agree to that when they could be payed more if they gave all their info out?"Blake asked, looking between Qrow and Esmeralda.

"Miss Malachite wouldn't completely sell out Oscar. Well, not unless he crossed her. She feels bad about his parents."Esmeralda answered causally, Oscar looked off to the side and scoffed bitterly, "Hey, Ossie, don't be like that. She doesn't like it when any of her spiders get hurt on the job."

Oscar quickly looked and shushed her, groaning at her sheepish expression. Qrow gave him a sharp look before running a hand through his hair, "By your boss's track record I could give a guess that she recruited the kid, too?"

Oscar winced, nodding stiffly and tugging at the bandages on his neck. He pulled them up a bit to show half the tattoo before pulling it back down, "My parents didn't like it, but Miss Malachite didn't care about what they thought. I was eight so I thought it was cool, when it really, really wasn't...I don't like talking about it, okay? I ran away from them in the first place, I'm surprised Miss helped me out."

"This sounds like something we really need to talk about. No secrets between us, remember?"Ruby reminded, crossing her arms.

Esmeralda huffed, rubbing a hand through her hair, "So nosy. Can we continue this later? I want to go shopping with Ossie, you can imagine how difficult it is to drag him to the market!"

"You won't skip town?"Qrow asked with a raised brow.

"Are you calling us Spiders untrustworthy?"Esmeralda shot back with a sharp grin, "By all means, send some others with me. I'd love to pick out some new outfits for you bunch."

"I wanna go!"Nora shouted with her mouth full, she quickly finished eating what she had before adding, "I want a cool scarf!"

"I need new socks."Yang says, inclining her head forward, "Mine have holes in them."

"See? They can make sure I don't drag Oscar back to Mistral. Which I should, but I won't."Esmeralda says with a cocky grin, "I only came to make sure he's alive and well. And look at that, he is! But he won't be for long if he isn't dressed for this particular weather."

"I'm going with you."Qrow decided, standing up, Oscar cringed at the sound of his back popping rather loudly. The life of a Huntsman, huh?

"Fine."Esmeralda shrugs, "Maybe we can discuss how the hell you guys plan on getting to Atlas."

"We're still working on that."Qrow muttered, grabbing his weapon and attaching it to his side. Nora and Yang did the same, waving goodbye as they followed Esmeralda to the door. Oscar couldn't believe how awkward it all seemed, his godmother suddenly showing up and exposing him then taking hem out shopping as if nothing happened.

‘ _It is indeed quite odd. And awkward. Qrow doesn’t trust her, obviously, but they both seem too stubborn to get along that easily.’_

"Atlas is gonna be tough, that's for sure. But, you never know, maybe I have a few connections that I can offer to you..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yeah lol I’m gonna add the new outfit in the next chapter so expect Oscar to always where that new one from the latest episode


	4. Make the Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Esmeralda has some information for Oscar.

' _This may be biased coming from me, but green seems to be a good color on you_.'

Oscar chuckled as he readjusted he belts in the changing room, he also tugged at his gloves, "Thanks. I don't understand all the belts, but at least everything won't flap around..."

He bent down and laced his boots, looking over his shoulder towards the door as he did so before he smiled and stood back up, his ears revealing themselves as he examined himself in the mirror, he whispered, "I think I'm going to tell them."

' _Tell_ _them_ _what?_ '

"About...this."Oscar said, gesturing to his ears. He hid them again beneath his hair, frowning as he readjusting it even more with his hands to hide the fur that was thicker than it used to be when he first joined RWBY, JNR, and company.

' _Wolves typically have thick fur. I suppose yours do the same_.'

"Another reason to tell them."Oscar sighs, "It'll just get harder to hide if the fur decides to get any thicker."

"Oscar~"Esmerelda exclaimed from the outside, rapping her knuckles against the door, "Are you done in there? We already found some nice fuzzy socks for Yang and a pretty red pashmina scarf for Nora! I even found new shirts!"

"I'm done, I'm done..."Oscar shouts back, readjusting his hair once more before exiting the dressing room, she squealed at the sight of him, "Does it, uh, look alright?"

"We're totally buying this outfit for you!"Esmerelda told him with a bright smile, "It looks great and seems warm enough for Atlas! You also look so adorable."

Oh, great, she was back to pinching his cheeks like she used to when he was younger...He could also hear Ozpin quietly chuckling, laughing at his pained cheeks, which he didn't appreciate whatsoever, Oscar opted for a mental chat, 'Shut up, Ozpin. This isn't as fun as it seems.'

' _It's,_ _as_ _she_ _said_ _it,_ _adorable_.'

'Fuck you.'

' _My, what foul language you have there. Though, it’s hard to to take seriously when coming from you_.'

Oscar, while Esmerelda's back was turned as she went to the counter to pay alongside Qrow and Yang, scowled and thought, 'As I said before, fuck you, Oz.'

Ozpin definitely didn't take him all too seriously when it came to Oscar cursing at him, no one probably would against a short kid who barley turned fourteen years old less then half a year ago. He would curse the circumstances, but he doubted the Gods would take him seriously. Fuck the Gods, they started the whole mess with Salem anyway.

"Is it Ozpin?"Nora whispered as leaned down beside him.

Oscar jolted and held a hand against his chest in surprise, not expecting her to suddenly show up like that. He took a deep breath and said, "He, uh, no. He isn't talking to me, I was just thinking about how we're even gonna make it to Atlas from here."

"I'm sure we'll have a few ideas back at the house!"Nora reassures before getting distracted by Yang shouting something to her from the counter, Nora ran off soon after and left Oscar to talk to Ozpin.

' _You don’t have to lie for me. I can handle their resentment towards me. They aren’t in the wrong, they are right to be angry. I did lie and mislead them, Oscar. We can’t blame them for how they react towards me now.’_

Oscar crosses his arms and went to lean against a wall, making sure to stay in sight of the others, 'They kicked you while you were down after you had to relive some of the worst things that happened in your life. That wasn't fair. You shouldn't have to talk to them until you're ready too, they weren't very sympathetic or as reasonable they should've been. You may be immortal but you’re still human, you made mistakes like all of us!'

'... _Thank you for that, Oscar_.'

"Oscar, let's go! The grumpy guy wants to have a conversation back at the house you've been staying at!"Esmerelda shouts from the front of the store, pulling him away from his thoughts and his conversation all at once. Qrow grumbled at what she called him but gestured his head to have him follow them.

He popped off the wall and hurried towards the door of the store, "I-I'm coming, wait up!"

* * *

"Please don't try to test their patience."Oscar muttered to his godmother as they all arranged themselves in the living room. The Cotta-Arcs weren't sure about the situation and occupied themselves with cooking dinner while Adrian napped in his room. 

Esmerelda rolled her eyes but nodded, she crossed her arms and scanned her eyes across everyone in the room before speaking, "I don't see the issue here. I'm leaving after this anyway, so you don't have to worry about me."

"We have a few questions, we don't have anything against you, miss Verde."Ruby says, smiling nervously as she sat across Esmerelda. They waited for someone to ask something, not very prepared for how awkward the atmosphere felt.

"Who's asking about us?"Yang questioned, "Who were the people who went to the Spiders and asked for information on us?"

"There was a man named Hazel, a young woman called Neopolitan, and another angry looking one woman named Cinder."Esmerelda answered, she raised a curious brow at how everyone in the room suddenly tensed at the mention of Cinder, "...you know em?"

"We know all of them, unfortunately. Hazel tried to kill him."Qrow says bluntly, gesturing towards Oscar, "For...certain reasons."Qrow looked towards Oscar, a silent question conveyed in his eyes about if they should tell her about Ozpin, Oscar shook his head in an obscure way. Qrow continued his explanation, moving on from Hazel, "Neo worked for a crime boss, Roman, and they both played a major part in the Fall of Beacon. Then Cinder was the one who organized the whole battle and attack, causing the Grimm to attack and hiring the White Fang and Roman to attack us."

"They're all very dangerous."Blake added, "We should definitely be on the move more if they're searching for us, and definitely more discreet about our whereabouts."

"If we make it to Atlas, it'll be harder for them to get to us."Jaune commented, he then added with a grimace, "Hopefully."

"Excuse me."Esmerelda interrupted, clearing her throat, her voice sharp and cutting through the conversation like a knife, "But why exactly was this man trying to kill Oscar?"

"Reasons."Oscar answered shortly, giving her a look, asking for her silently to not ask more about it. He cleared his throat, "Where are you going after this?"

"Wind Path."Esmerelda answers, Oscar looked off in recognition of the area, "I have business there, I'll tell you about it before I go. It's important, part of the reason I went looking for you."

"I have another question."Qrow cuts in, leaning forward a bit, "Do you plan on sharing our current location to your little friends, the Spiders?"

"Absolutely not!”Esmerelda answers immediately, "Who knows who would come asking for information next time and how much money they have for said info, I don't want it getting leaked."

"That's all I got, then."Qrow says, leaning back, relaxed now from her answer.

Esmerelda sighed, clapping her hands on her legs before standing up, she pulled Oscar up with her, "Well, then I'm off. I'll say goodbye to Oscar outside and in private, then leave."

She proceeded to drag Oscar towards the door before they could say anything, grabbing her bag that she left there then onto her back once more, and pulled them outside and down the steps to get away from the door. She took a deep breath and settled her hands on Oscar's shoulders, smiling at him. He smiled back, "Thanks. Now, um, what did you want to tell me before you go?"

"I know you hate to talk about it, but we have to."Esmerelda says, cutting right to the chase as if she expected him to argue against what she was going to say, "But it's about your parents. I've been...investigating it.”

Oscar stiffened, he shut his eyes and heavily breathed through his nose before he said, "Just get it over with, Esme. Did you find any bodies to bury or was it just another dead end like usual?"

“Oscar.”Esmerelda says firmly, gripping his shoulders, “I know where they are. Honey, they’re alive. I found them.”

Oscar choked, Ozpin gave him a whisper of reassurance in his mind and reminded him that he could breath, “W-What?”

Esmeralda blindly reached back behind her and grabbed a scroll from her backpack side pocket and placed it into his hands, “You need this, for contact, andyou don’t have one so I got you one. They were stuck in Vacuo but have been traveling back once as soon as they could they made it to Vale a week ago and I’m meeting them in Wind Path. I had to find you before I met them so they can see you. I’m gonna find them, then we’re going to you whether you’re here in Argus or in Atlas because they’ve been trying to see you again ever since they realized they were stuck in Vacuo. Major Grimm attacks were plaguing the area and the people there wouldn’t let them leave when they found out Leon and Finian were stealing from them.”

“Why didn’t- why didn’t you tell me sooner?”He felt out of breath, Ozpin was the one making sure he was breathing at this point, he didn’t say anything because, well, this was an incredibly private conversation.

“Because I was worried about you, I’ve only talked to Leon and Finian on the scrolls an-and I’m going to see them, and then we’re coming straight back for you.”Esmerelda said, a hopeful smile on her face, “Now go inside and call them, you little shit.”

Despite how rude the nickname may seem, she said it fondly, he held the scroll tightly in his hands and nodded tersely. She kissed him on the forehead and hugged his tightly, pulling away as fast as she always does and left, occasionally looking back as she walked away with a smile on her face. Oscar couldn’t help but smile too.

‘ _Go_ _inside,_ _Oscar_. _Call_ _them_.’

Oscar hurried inside, shouting a quick excuse to the others as he hurried up the stairs and back into the guest room he was occupying. He shut the door and leaned against it, clutching the phone to his chest. He couldn’t help but bubble in laughter.

‘ _Well?_ _Aren’t_ _you_ _gonna_ _call?_ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.strawpoll.me/17158344
> 
> ^^^ 
> 
> I want to change the name, because “Inked” was kinda something I came up with on a whim and I wanted to change it!


	5. Phone calls and truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His parents answered the phone.

Oscar waited for his parents to answer as the scroll rang for them, completely on edge about what would happen when it answered. What if it was all some sick joke and it wasn't them? What if something happened to them, again, while traveling? What if the Grimm attacked again and-

' _Oscar!_ '

And there it was. A wave of calmness suddenly washed over him and his shoulders dropped, he could always count of Ozpin to be the reasonable one and flood him with emotions to get rid of his negative ones.

 

' _You're going to be fine. Just wait for them to answer_.’

Oscar nodded, moving away from the door and huddling up on the bed, the scroll made a click and he held his breath before blurting out, "Hello?"

"Ossie?"That was Leon, papa, clear as day and sounding just as Oscar remembered him.

"Holy fuck, Oscar!"And then there was Finian, dad, cursing, of course.

"Oh thank the Gods, you both are alive!"That must've been one of the first times Oscar had thanked the Gods ever since the whole mess with Jinn, he choked on a sob, "It's really you guys- you're alive and- holy shit, how are you alive?"

"Like we even know ourselves."Leon chuckled, breathing heavily, "We're so sorry that it took us this long to get a hold of you or anyone from the Spiders, no one would let us do anything back in the part of Vacuo we were in. They were really mad and we had no resources to get back, we had to work our way up to just leave."

"I'm just so glad you're both alive and okay."Oscar says, swiping his arm against his wet cheeks, "Gods, I missed you both, so has Aunt Iris and everyone else from the Spiders..."

"How've you been? We need to catch up. You're fourteen now."Finian says, Oscar's dad usually didn't cry, but this seemed to be one of the times he did. Oscar nodded despite them not being able to see him.

"I'm good, I'm good, dad."Oscar answered with a small chuckle, "I'm, uh, helping out some people find some artifacts and deliver one, a lamp, to Atlas. We've been through a lot to get as far as we are now, so we're totally gonna find a way all the way into Atlas despite the borders being closed!"

"Did you steal it?"Leon questioned bluntly, Oscar spluttered as his fathers laughed at him.

"No! I mean, well, yes? A bad man, Lionheart, had it and it's pretty dangerous in the hands of who he works for."Oscar explained as vaguely as he could, "We...well, we're trying to stop a woman and her people, they are very bad. And they really don't like us, the woman really doesn't like me for certain reasons. If they take what we're trying to get their hands on, we're all done for."

"How did you even get involved with all of this?"Finian questioned, bewildered.

"It's hard to explain."Oscar sighs, he hesitated for a moment, "But it doesn't matter. I just- are you both okay, now? Like, you won't disappear before I get to see you again?"

"We're fine."Leon answers fondly, a bit giddy as he continued, "Esmerelda is meeting us and then we're going to you, wherever you are! Where are you, anyway? Your godmother tells us you ran away from your aunt, why on earth didn't you leave a message at the very least?"

"I'm in Argus with the Cotta-Arcs, they're my friend's sister and her wife and their really cute baby."Oscar says, beginning to ramble, "We're trying to make our way over to Atlas, which may take a while, so hopefully you'll make it here before we leave, with Esme's teleportation, you should be here in less than a week!"

 

"Oscar?"Someone knocked on his door, Terra, "Saphron and I finished dinner, we're setting the table!"

"I'll be right down, Mrs. Cotta-Arc!"Oscar exclaims, sliding off he bed. He went over and opened the door smiling in appreciation to her. He realized how small the room was in the process and how there were blankets and pillows piled in the far corner, did others sleep in there last night and leave before he woke up? Probably.

"It's Terra, Oscar."She corrected with an amused laugh, "Keep up with that 'Mrs' stuff and I'll address you as Mr. Pine in return."

"I'm Mr. Pine!"Came two voices from his scroll, he could hear their muffled laughter. They used to always do this when they picked him up from school and heard one of his teachers call him 'Mr. Pine.' He may still find it annoying, but Oscar did miss it.

"Oh! Are those your parents?"Terra realized, she bent down a bit and said, "Hello, I'm Terra, it's nice to meet you both! I'll be sure he will be kept healthy and well fed while he's here...And out of the cold."Terra gave him a knowing look, he sheepishly looked away.

"Hello, ma'am."Leon greeted, "This is Leon, and my husband Finian. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you two. Now, I don't mean to interrupt but dinner is ready and Oscar didn't eat lunch from what I hear and was interrupted from finishing his breakfast."Terra says, Oscar threw a betrayed look towards the woman for outing him to his parents without a second thought.

"You better go eat right now!"Finian ordered, Oscar could hear him smiling despite how serious he sounded, "We'll talk more in the morning, it's getting pretty late. We'll see you soon, Ossie."

"Bye, papa, dad."Oscar says, a bit sad, but that didn't stop the smile on his face even when they hung up.

"They seem nice."Terra commented, she then asked, "How did they react to you running off with the group downstairs?"

"They, uh, didn't know. If I'm being honest, I thought they were dead till about an hour ago."Oscar admitted, Terra's head tilted in confusion and worry, he quickly elaborated, "That's why my godmother showed up, to tell me that they were actually alive after they went missing two years ago! She gave me a scroll to talk to them."

"Oh, my."Terra says in a sympathetic whisper, her eyes suddenly widened in realization, "Shoot! I interrupted you guys, I'm sorry!"

"It's okay Mrs-...Terra!"Oscar swiftly reassured, "I'll call them in the morning before breakfast, and you heard them, they want me to eat dinner."

* * *

Jaune, Ren, and Nora roomed with him, apparently being the ones from yesterday, and didn't offer any room to argue when they allowed him the bed, it wasn't like they could have two people on their anyway. It was bigger than a twin bed but definitely not meant to be comfortable for two people of a certain height. Oscar, being as small as he was, was perfectly fine on it. Nora, being a bit taller than him, would use it but she said she preferred the ground, oddly enough. But, maybe that was because she curled up with Ren. 

They went into a peaceful sleep hours ago, Oscar on the other hand had woken up clutching his bedsheets, swearing bullets, and panting. A quick look at his scroll showed him that it was 3:38 in the morning.

Another nightmare of one of Ozma's reincarnations and his death. Some of them died of old age, others died from Grimm or Salem's forces. This last one, Oswald Novus, was killed brutally by one of Salem's old crew. Killing Oswald by slitting his throat after hunting him down and letting Grimm rough him up and tear his skin with their claws beforehand. It wasn't a pleasant memory to experience, to say the least.

He couldn't just go back to sleep after that. He felt restless, and that feeling was doubled by Ozpin's own energy added on. Oscar threw his blankets off of him, sat up in bed, rubbing at his eyes, and got out of bed in his pajamas, a set of dark green sweat pants and a black tank top. He slipped out of the room quietly, shutting the door as carefully as possible, and headed downstairs to the kitchen. It must've become a habit for each of Ozma's reincarnations to turn to hot chocolate as a comfort drink.

Oscar looked around the kitchen to find what he needed for hot chocolate. It somehow always ended up helping him sleep, so, he was making hot chocolate the best he remembered Ozpin showing him.

' _Truly a good idea..._ '

Even Oz seemed out of it as Oscar maneuvered around the kitchen in the dark, silently thanking his Faunus genes for making it easy to move in the kitchen with his vision without the risk of alerting someone sleeping in the living room of his presence. He even allowed his ears to relax from their pressed position against his head and instead were out and alert, he couldn't keep them hidden as he slept so he usually had a blanket thrown over him. At least now it was easier to hear anyone moving towards the kitchen.

'Who should I tell first, about my, ah, race? I don't think I want to tell everyone in the group at once, especially with how serious they were when it comes to lying.'Oscar thought as he stirred his drink in its mug before setting the spoon into the sink as quietly as possible.

' _I wouldn’t call it lying._ '

'I know, but I'm still withholding information from them.'

' _I suggest you tell the Cotta-Arca at some point, they seem nice. I would also say Ms. Belladonna and Qrow. Qrow wouldn’t judge you and Ms. Belladonna would understand your situation as she has experience doing the exact same thing with hiding her own Faunus identity from her friends_ '

'Okay, yeah, you're right. Thank you.'

' _Maybe it would help if you let everyone other then them find out once your parents join us._ '

"That is a good idea..."Oscar muttered in agreement as he sat atop a counter, then, his ears twitched. Oscar sighed and tucked them away once more just before the lights were flicked on and he saw a drowsy Qrow fix his eyes onto Oscar, blinking to clear his vision. Oscar smiled and offered a short, nervous wave to the man before taking a sip of his cocoa, speaking into the mug, "H-Hey, Mr. Branwen."

"Oh, it's you, kid."Qrow addressed before yawning, he leaned against the doorway, "It's just Qrow, by the way. Now what are you doing awake?"

"I, um, had another nightmare about another death."Oscar answered, looking into his mug, the man knew about the nightmares seeing as they roomed with each other back at Haven, Oscar chuckled weakly, "Hot chocolate hasn't failed me just yet."

Qrow's eyes had flickered down to his bare neck for a moment before meeting his eyes. Right, he started allowing himself to take the bandages off while he slept now that they knew, the man sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, adverting his eyes once more, "Look, kid, I thought I should maybe apologize for, you know, the whole punching you thing. I shouldn't have done that, I should've said something like this afterwords but...yeah. So, I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that. Even Ozpin, too."

Oscar looked at him in surprise, "You wanted to apologize to him too?"

Ozpin was strangely silent, mixed emotions bubbling next to his own, Qrow shrugged and crossed his arms as he glanced back at him, "I'm guessing he's there with how often you sit in silence and change expressions every now and again as if you're reacting to him."

"O-Oh."Oscar mumbles dumbly, looking sheepish, "Um, yeah. He's been back, ever since I ran off, actually. I don't wanna push him into talking to everyone after how you guys reacted, especially because of how he was treated after he saw his own worse memories with Salem and his own kids."

Qrow flinched, "Yeah. I get that."

"I do agree with the no big secrets thing, though."Oscar says quietly, shifting awkwardly as he set aside the mug besides him, hopping off the counter and walking to stand in front of the other, "I have something I thought I should show, it's something I've hidden by habit."

Qrow raises an eyebrow but didn't interrupt, simply waiting. Oscar let his ears perk up and smothered his laughter into his hand at Qrow's bewildered expression and offered a small, "Oh."

"My fathers didn't want me be harassed at school or on the streets so I got used to hiding my Faunus heritage that I got from my Papa."Oscar explained, rubbing the tip of one ear anxiously, he did what he usually did in his nervous state, ramble, "A lot of kids messed with me when I was little, and I started hiding this because I wanted to be left alone and be treated like anyone else. I shouldn't have hid it, but I got so used to it and after my parents disappeared I always felt the need to without them. But it's fine! Because I found out they're alive and I'm gonna see them again, and I thought it would be best for me to say something about this since I don't want to hide them...!"

' _Oscar,_ _remember_ _to_ _breathe_ _between_ _sentences,_ _please_.'

"Right, thanks, Oz."Oscar mumbled as he regained his composure, "So, yeah! I thought I should tell you and Ms. Belladonna before the others since Oz suggested it.”

“Kid, you really don’t have to worry about the others freaking out over this. It isn’t a big deal, they’ll get it.”Qrow reassures, “Ozpin being back, however...well, they might take a while to leave you alone about that.”

Oscar winced, “Yeah. I know.”Then, Oscar let out a small, surprised noise as a hand landed in his hair and ruffled it. He peered up at Qrow who just looked amused before pulling away, Oscar had tried to fix his hair because it was no doubt a mess but quickly gave up, “What was that for?”

“It looked fluffy.”Qrow had muttered before clearing his throat m, Oscar heard him perfectly though and his cheeks flushed with pink color, “And cause you’re gonna be fine, kid. They kids over there aren’t gonna do shit to you, you know? I’m sure Terra would kill them if them tried.”

“...Thanks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably won’t remember posting this later cause im tired but here you go!! I should probably edit it again later cause yeet and now I get to change the work title!


End file.
